The Transfer Tavern

TT Battle: Jurgen Klopp vs Michael Edwards

They make quite the pairing, don’t they? Having gone under the radar at Liverpool for a while, Michael Edwards’ transfer dealings in recent years for Jurgen Klopp’s side have meant his profile is much more prominent now.

Even before Klopp’s arrival on Merseyside, Edwards had been ever-present in a role at the club but it was only in November 2016 where he became sporting director at Liverpool. Since undertaking that role and having such involvement in some of Liverpool’s remarkable signings and contract extensions of late, Edwards has become a renowned figure among the fanbase for simply being so good at his job.

Himself and Klopp will have worked together for years now with a shared idea of the sort of player that suits Liverpool and it is that calibre of players that Edwards has helped deliver time after time. He has also negotiated outgoings very wisely too to get an eye-catching price for many players that have not warranted such a fee as of yet.

A lot of the development of the Reds on the pitch is down to the pair’s relationship as without them working together to target and execute the deals for new faces, Klopp would not have such players at his disposal that fit his philosophy so well.

The importance of Edwards’ role cannot be understated and in that respect, it is of equal importance to Liverpool that the director does his role to the best of his ability as it is Klopp does his, as that means Klopp can then have the players on the pitch to demonstrate his style of play to the best of their ability. Indeed, according to the Echo, he commands the German’s respect.

However, a player will not be brought in or moved on without Klopp’s full approval, meaning that even if Edwards pulled out all the stops to complete a deal, if the German boss was not a fan, that deal would not go ahead.

So, that best illustrates the power structure in terms of Klopp having such influence around the club to be able to put a stop to Edwards’ work on a player whenever he liked, but given Edwards’ track-record of incomings during his time as sporting director, the likelihood of Klopp utilising that capability is very slim.